By the time the first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine had arrived at Texas Children’s, Mirronda Williams felt fairly certain she did not want to receive it. Her mind was filled with questions and concerns about the efficacy and risks, and conflicting stories and theories about the vaccine made her even more apprehensive.
Then came the heavy realization that the pandemic was literally at her doorstep.
“I received a call that a very close friend of the family tested positive and a few days later lost his battle with COVID,” said Williams, a team leader account representative at the Central Business Office. “My family was so stunned and heartbroken over what happened. The feeling was absolutely unexplainable.”
From there, it was like a domino effect: Williams and her husband just kept hearing about family members testing positive. Upset and scared, she felt caught in an emotional whirlwind – but doing her own research about the vaccine made a difference.
After attending the COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sessions hosted by Texas Children’s Vaccine Task Force, she began to feel more confident about moving forward. A heart-to-heart conversation with her supportive husband sealed the deal.
“Once I received that extra assurance, I immediately went online and signed up to take the vaccine,” Williams said, snagging an appointment for January 14. “When I arrived for my first dose I was trembling because I was so nervous. It was a true test of faith, but everything went way better than expected.”
Though she did experience extreme soreness at the injection site, fatigue, chills and a headache, the side effects subsided within 24 hours. When she received her second vaccine dose on February 4, the soreness and a slight headache only lasted about 2-3 hours.
Only a short time later, she learned of several classmates, and a friend of her husband, who had all died within weeks of each other because of COVID-19.
“I know I made the right decision to receive the vaccine,” Williams said. “I want to make sure I do my part to help win the battle over this pandemic, and I would personally like to say ‘thank you’ to Texas Children’s.”
If you have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine, appointments are still available – and receiving your first dose makes you automatically eligible for a $1,000 prize! To schedule your vaccination now, click here. For more information about the vaccine, including recordings of Texas Children’s live vaccine information sessions, visit our vaccine website.